KCWIR: Southwest balks at cost of new KCI. Plus, counting local Obamacare sign-ups…

Southwest Airlines is jumping into the debate over the future of KCI. The airport’s largest carrier says the proposed $1.2 billion single terminal plan would triple its costs of doing business here.

Join KCWIR, Friday November 15 at 7:30 pm and the rebroadcast Sunday at 11 am as we connect the dots on this story and the region’s other most significant news events…

Southwest, which flies more passengers out of the airport than any other airline, currently pays $5.25 per passenger to use KCI. According to Southwest, under the single terminal plan, that would rise to $14.36 per passenger and to $18.70 per passenger by 2022.

Ron Ricks, Southwest’s Executive Vice-President told a meeting of area business leaders this week “that would be a disincentive for airlines to service Kansas City.”

How many have signed up?

It’s now been six weeks since Americans without health insurance have been able to enroll in new health care exchanges as part of the Affordable Care Act.

While there have been lots of reports of technical glitches and huge obstacles for consumers trying to sign up on the healthcare.gov website, this week the federal government releases, for the first time, local figures on the number of people purchasing plans. Here are those numbers for our region:

In Kansas, 371.

In Missouri, 751.

Business Border Battle

Is there finally an end in sight to the long-running business border battle between Missouri and Kansas? Missouri Governor Jay Nixon calls this week for a moratorium on incentives to lure businesses across the state line in the Kansas City metro. He says the two states should work together to promote the region as a whole. In a speech to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Nixon said both states have spent too much money luring companies across the state line with no real job growth. But what exactly is the Governor proposing and is anyone paying attention?

Shaking up how City Hall operates in Kansas City, MO

After five months of work, a charter review panel charged with recommending changes to how city government works issues its report.

The panel proposes eliminating all at-large council seats in favor of having every member of the council serve in individual districts. Also proposed: giving the mayor more power to fire the city manager. And changing the date of city elections to warmer months in an effort to improve turnout. But how are the panel’s recommendations being received at city hall?

Local control of KC Police back in the headlines

Another Mayoral review panel recommends against returning local control to the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department. The KCPD is currently the only police department in the country under state governance, a holdover from the days of corruption during the Pendergast era. But the Mayor’s commission votes against returning Kansas City police to city control, instead they favor expanding the current police board from five members to seven. But why do they think that would improve things?

Marijuana making local headlines

And it’s not just because of a Chiefs player called Dwayne Bowe who’s arrested for marijuana possession after being pulled over for speeding.

In Johnson County, a Leawood couple files a federal lawsuit over a “SWAT-style” home raid last year by heavily armed sheriff’s deputies who wrongly believed the couple was growing marijuana because they had earlier been seen leaving a store that sold hydroponic gardening equipment. They are seeking $7 million in compensatory and punitive damages, according to the suit, after they and their two young children were allegedly “intimidated, traumatized and held under armed guard” for more than two hours while deputies searched their home during the early morning raid.

Meanwhile, this weekend, a state marijuana convention is being held downtown with speakers from across the country attending. One of the main agenda items is to discuss placing on the Missouri ballot next year an initiative to tax and regulate marijuana like alcohol.